By Gail H. Marshall Brown, Ph.D.,
Contributing Writer,
As motorists drove into the parking lot of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Brandon, Miss., on the chilly Sunday evening of Dec. 21, they saw a long line of warmly dressed individuals extending from the entrance of the family life center past the church. Others rushed from their vehicles to secure their place in line.
At 4:30 p.m., precisely as previously announced, the doors opened, and attendees poured in for the back-by-popular-demand performance of “The Judgment,” written, directed, and produced by the church’s pastor, Rev. Dr. Ava Sanchez Harvey, Sr. Its original showing, Dec. 6 received rave reviews on social media.
The production touched on a range of life issues, including religion vs. spirituality, marriage and family dynamics, self-glorification, suicide, self-reflection, and more.
“The inspiration for this drama production came from several dreams that I believe came from the Lord,” said Harvey. “Two of the dreams were extremely emotionally intense concerning judgment and eternal damnation. I was given a view of hell and several of its compartments.
“I saw people being judged and shown images of their earthly lives. Some were regretful and sorrowful, while others were pleading for another chance. I knew the Lord was impressing my spirit to do something, though I was unsure what that ‘something’ was until He spoke to me again.”
Occurring near the close of the Advent season and approaching the new year, many said the production was more than a mere play. Longtime gospel singer and music educator Lannie Spann McBride viewed the play as a call to action.
“This play was for the church,” she said. “If [we], the church, do not understand God’s mission, who is going to tell the people?”
She pointed to a line from the production — “I see your heart” — as especially resonant. “That reminds us that God sees our hearts. It told us to check ourselves—show me [to] me. Show me the things I need to fix.”
McBride described the church as a hospital. “A wounded soldier must fight lest he die,” she said. “So, let’s fight; let’s live.”
She applauded Dr. Harvey for using his gifts to serve the community at no cost. “Out of all of the laughter,” she said, “the play ultimately told us that God’s people need to be clear about what God wants us to do.”
Senior Pastor Audrey Lynne Hall of Holy Temple Missionary Baptist Church of Jackson, Miss., also commended Dr. Harvey for such a much-needed message through his play. “The play gave everyone in attendance some sound biblical teachings,” she said. “It was definitely a must-see,” said Hall, who was accompanied by several of her church members.
From an artistic standpoint, Edison T. Brown III, a middle school choral music director and community actor, described ‘The Judgment’ as “a sobering portrayal of the second coming of Jesus Christ.”
“From an acting perspective, the actors performed very well. Each character was distinct and had their own objective and motive. I love the use of humor to lighten the mood of what is a heavy but important topic. That is a credit to the writing prowess of Dr. Harvey, who balanced the seriousness of the subject with humor and implemented important biblical principles while answering some thought-provoking questions. Overall, it was an excellent production!”
Asked about outcomes from the play, Harvey said the play proved transformative.
“I’ve received several calls regarding the impression and influence that each scene has had on people’s lives,” he said. “I received a call from a young man who was at the second showing, and he wanted to be saved. We went through the plan of salvation together, and he accepted Christ.
“A mother called to share with me that her daughter was crying throughout the production, and when they were returning home that night, the child shared that she’d been contemplating committing suicide. Her heart was pricked and changed, and their daughter-mother communication has been much better.”
“I also received a call from a lady who said the play was her life. She visited a fortune-teller in her teens, and the soothsayer told her that she would be rich and marry a man in a uniform, exactly as was described in the production. Thankfully, after having a talk with her mom, she stopped contacting the fortune-teller, and she received Christ.
“Testimonies are coming in from everywhere,” Harvey said, attributing the play’s impact to God, the cast and the support of the church family.
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